Of course, Leverkusen won’t like this one bit.
Much to the surprise of Brazil supporters, Real Madrid have extended the contract of head coach Carlo Ancelotti to 2026. While this will doubtless have a number of major consequences for the footballing world, for Bayern Munich it means only one thing. Xabi Alonso has just lost his #1 potential suitor, leaving him open for a swoop by the Bavarians in 2024.
Of course, Bayer Leverkusen would be loath to let that happen. They finally have a coach who can unlock the potential of a squad of perennial underachievers — under Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen ended the first half of the season unbeaten in all competitions, a feat surpassing even Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut Bayern Munich teams.
However, reports have indicated that Xabi would be willing to leave his project at Leverkusen should a call come from one of his former clubs — Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, or Liverpool FC. It wouldn’t come cheap, but one of those clubs could certainly come knocking this summer as the Spaniard’s stock continues to rise.
Madrid have just put themselves out of the running by extending Carlo. Liverpool are committed to Jurgen Klopp for the foreseeable future. That just leaves Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich — the only coach of the three who isn’t quite secure in his position. With failures in both the DFL Supercup and DFB-Pokal already under his belt, Tuchel could find himself out of a job if he goes trophyless this campaign, opening the door to Xabi Alonso.
Of course, this is all just speculation for the moment — no one can say what Bayern are planning. Tuchel could still go on to win the Champions League from here, which would not only guarantee him job security but also a likely contract extension with a pay rise.
All this development does is signify to the Bayern board that non-Tuchel options are available. The coach will have to be laser-focused on achieving his targets in the second half of the season.
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